Device for the automatic closing and opening of doors, cupboards, and the like at predetermined times.



W. LEHMUTH. DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC CLOSING AND OPENING OF DOORS, CUPBOARDS, AND THE LIKE AT PREDE'IERMINED TIMES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2,1

fieuawZOrv hat ,4 M M I m Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

WILHELM LEHMUTH, or summons; GERMANY.

DEVICE ronrnn AUTOMATIC CLOSING AND OPENING or noons, oornoanzos, nun THE un on.

LIKE AT PREDETERMINEI) TIMES.

Application filed January 2, 1912. Serial No. 669,098.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, l/VILHELM LEIIMUTH, a subject of the Kingof Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Gernrode, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Device for the Automatic Closing and Opening of Doors, Cupboards, and the like at Predetermined Times, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for closing rooms of all kinds, such as office rooms, workshops, and the doors of cupboards and the like during a determined time, and for automatically opening the same at a predetermined moment.

According; to this invention a locking device for the door is automatically operated when the door is being shut, the opening of the door being prepared by a clockwork. l/Vith this object in view a bolt is mounted in the door frame so that it canfreely move in vertical direction. This bolt is normally supported by a slide. The door has a bar or bolt which when pushed into the locking position acts upon the slide and pushes the same away from the vertical locking bolt so that this bolt can drop into a recess of the bar or bolt of the door. The advantage of this device is that there is no outward sign indicating that any safety locking device is provided.

In order to release the locking bar or bolt of the door at a pre-determined time, the vertical drop bolt is lifted out of the looking bar or lever of the door by means of a counterweight, or any other suitable device, which is released from the clockwork.

Intermediate members and eventually electric conduits are arranged which transfer the movement of the clockwork to the locking device of the door.

In the accompanying drawings theinvention is shown by Way of example.

Figure 1 shows the safety locking device in the position of rest. Fig. 2 shows the same device in the locking position. Fig. 3 is a cross section on a larger scale through the safety locking device proper. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. Fig. 5 shows the means connected with the clock and clesigned to operate at a predetermined time the bolt. Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5.

Upon the door frame 1 of the door 2 a U-shaped guide piece 3 for the drop bolt 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

is arranged. This drop bolt. 5 which is freely mounted in said guide piece 3 normally rests upon a slide 4. which is movably mounted in the lower end of said guide piece 3. The door-2 has a locking bar or bolt. 6, of any convenient construction, which is pushed back (Fig. 6) when the safety locking device is not required. WVhen the door is to be securely locked the locking bar or bolt 6 is pushed into the locking position (Fig. 2) before the door 9. is being shut. When the door is shut the locking bolt or bar acts upon the slide 4; and pushes the same away from the drop bolt 5 which thus drops into a recess of the locking bolt or bar 6 or behind the same (Fig. 3) so that the door cannot be opened. This drop bolt 5 is attached to a chain 7 the upper end of which is attached to the free end of a lever 9 pivotally mounted in a bracket 8, the other end of the lever 9 being connected with the clockwork '10 which effects at the pre-de termined time an oscillation of the lever 9 whereby the drop bolt 5 is lifted out of its locking position so that the locking bar or bolt 6 of the door is released. The releasing of the drop bolt can be effected from the clockwork either mechanically or electrically. lVitb this object in view a rod 11 is arranged in the casing of the clockwork which'has an arm 12 to which a pull spring 13 is attached. the other end of which is fixed to a guide bracket of the casing. A part of the rod 11 is toothed and engages with the toothed wheel 14 which is keyed upon a shaft which carries an arm 15. This lever is supported by an arm 16 when the rod 11 is in the lifted position. The support 16 can be moved from the clockwork in any convenient manner so that it is moved away from under the arm 15 at a pre-determined moment. When the arm 15 is re:

leased from the support 16 the rod ll-deof the pull spring oscillated and the scends under the action 13 whereby the lever 9 is drop bolt 5 is lifted.

When the door is to be secured in the closed position the clock is adjusted for the hour at which the door has to be opened, and the rod 1]. is lifted until its arm 15 bears upon the support 16. The slide 4 is pushed home in the guide piece 3 after the drop bolt 5 has been lifted so thatthis drop bolt is supported by said slide (Fig. 1). If now the door'2 is shut the bar or looking bolt 6 of the door which has been pushed into the operative position (Fig. 2) catches the slide t and pushes the same toward the door frame 1 (Fig. 3) whereby the drop bolt is released and drops into the locking position. The chain 7 is thus pulled taut. When the hand of the clock arrives at the pre-determined position the support 16 is turned away from the arm and the rod 11 returns to its initial position through the action of the pull spring 13.

The clock Work is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 on a larger scale than the other figures. From this clockwork the central wheel 21 is revolved which transmits its revolving motion to the wheel 22 in the well known manner so that the said wheel 29 completes one revolution every 12 hours. In a curved slot 24 of said wheel 22 an arm 23 is adjustably fixed which is designed to strike against the supports 17 of the angle lever 15 once every 12 hours. After one actuation of the device the part 16 is returned to the position to engage 15 by means of a spring 15. The part 23 is accessible if the door of the casing is opened.

I claim:

A locking device for doors which is auto- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the matically released at a pie-determined time,

comprising in combination a locking bar or bolt mounted on the inner surface of the door, a guide piece fixed on the door frame, a slide in the lower end of said guide piece, a drop bolt freely movable in said guide piece and normally supported by said slide, a clock-work, a. lever pivotally mounted above said door frame, a chain attached to the free end of said lever and to the upper end of the bolt, a rod attached to the other end of said lever and vertically guided in the casing of the clock, a movable support fixed in the casing of the clock, means connected with the clock for turning at a predetermined time said support away from said rod, a pull spring for pulling said rod when it is released so that through the intermediary of the oscillating lever the drop bolt is lifted out of the locking position, sub-' stantially as described and shown and for the purposeset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

' WILHELM LEHMUTH. Witnesses Hans EYTH, GUs'rAvn 'KRAUss.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). t. 

